Traveling comes in many forms. You can have a classic road trip or take a train or of course, book a flight but you can’t forget about boats. I have been lucky enough to take two cruises (before Coronavirus broke out). My first cruise was with Royal Caribbean and the second was with Carnival. I am in no way an expert on cruises but can offer a little bit of the experience. Although cruises can be lots of fun, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in fact, here is the pros and cons list of cruises.
Pros:
It’s relatively cheap
If you are open to going without the drink packages and other additional costs, cruises can be fairly priced overall. I know my first cruise was less than $1,000 and my second cruise was around the same. Most flights are in the thousands to go to international territory but that doesn’t include food and attractions and so much fun like a cruise can offer.
Events are happening at all hours
You will never be bored on a cruise. If you choose to leave your room (it’s okay if you don’t because that’s what my mom and I did on the Royal Caribbean!) but you’ll be sure to find something entertaining going on at nearly every hour on the ship. Whether it’s shopping, swimming or a cruise run event like a concert or excursion, you can’t be bored. There are always attractions going on.
You can make some international pals
The workers on the ship are so kind and if you’re lucky, you can meet some people from different cultures and countries and have a good time. On the Royal Caribbean, I became friends with my waiter at the main dining room and he and I had a great time when dinner was served! On my Carnival cruise, my mom and I got to know the pianist at the piano bar fairly well. Having buddies on the ship that work for the cruise ship is so much fun because it makes the attractions and events so much better.
It’s a great way to visit multiple places
Cruises are great if you want to see multiple places in a short span of time to help check off those bucketlist places faster. Most cruises stop at 2+ places and offer great excursions on the islands or locations to help you experience the most of it within the short time you are at the port.
Ice cream machine
Need I say more? Just kidding, but seriously! On most cruise ships (both of mine had one) have an ice cream machine. On both my cruises, it was near the pool. This is great for that late night craving but also to cool off during a hot day at the pool. I will say, I was considering putting this on the con list because for my Royal Caribbean cruise, the ice cream machine was broken more times than none but overall, if you find a good machine, the concept is heaven.
Cons:
The bedrooms are fairly small
I suppose this is done for a reason because you should spend most of the time out doing activities and exploring but can be a bummer if you like to have some space. I guess the best way to describe it is that the rooms are packed like sardines. For the Royal Caribbean cruise, my mom and I got a room that had a small desk, two beds, a bathroom and a small closet within 150-160 square feet. For the Carnival cruise, however, my mom and I lucked out tremendously and we got upgraded at no cost to a room meant for a family of five and it was cozy for us so I can’t imagine what it would feel like for a family. It included two beds, a pull out couch, bathroom, desk and closet within around 185- 200 square feet. I guess this also affects how much you are paying but be warned.
Not everything is included
I guess this is kind of a given but still sucks. If you want to just buy the ticket and spend little to no money on the boat, it can be done but will be difficult. There is food available for you at no cost but there are also places to buy food and drinks. There are also shops on the boats most of the time so you can buy some things from there. Overall, I would just be careful because the money will add up quickly so find the free stuff or beware of the bill.
Food is not necessarily 24/7
I feel that there are many stereotypes of cruises and I know personally, I read all over the place that the food is 24/7 and always fresh. This is not necessarily true, or atleast at the cruises I went on. I remember on the Royal Caribbean cruise, food wasn’t out at night and if it was, it was a very small selection and grab and go packaged things.
Like most transportation options, you will find some bad things but above all, I think it’s important to experience a cruise for yourself. It can be different for anyone and who knows, maybe you’ll find your new go-to family vacation!